The story in one page
Caius Martius is a brilliant, abrasive general who views the common people of Rome as vermin. After winning a decisive victory against the Volscians, he returns home to run for consul. He refuses to solicit votes with the required humility, triggering a riot that forces the Senate to banish him. Livid, he marches straight to his rival, Aufidius, and offers his blade to crush Rome. When his mother and wife arrive at his war camp to beg for peace, he relents, but his change of heart earns him only a fatal betrayal from his new allies.
Who's who
- Caius Martius Coriolanus
An elite warrior who refuses to hide his disdain.
- Volumnia
The general's mother who dictates his political survival.
- Aufidius
A foreign general and sworn rival to Martius.
- Menenius Agrippa
A patrician negotiator who speaks for the Senate.
What it's really about
- Political vanity
- Pride prevents necessary compromise in governance.
- Public perception
- Popular opinion shifts faster than loyalties.
Why it's memorable
- A general showing off fresh battle scars to voters.
- An army marching in silence to mourn their greatest enemy.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Aufidius baits the general into a rage, and his own conspirators stab him to death in the city of Antium. They then carry his body out with full military honors.
For your book club
- Is the general a hero or an elitist bully?
- Can a democracy survive a man who hates it?